Reasons Not to Burn Plastic Bags

Burning plastic bags has been advocated by some environmental campaigners as a greener alternative to burying them in landfill sites, as it is thought that they are not biodegradable (because they have existed for less than a generation, there is not yet a definitive answer to the question of biodegradability).

Global Warming

• One reason not to burn plastic bags is out of concern for our environment. The largest contributor to the increase in greenhouse gases (i.e water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane) is the burning of fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide. This increase in greenhouse gases results in the temperature increase in the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, known as global warming. Global warming is the observed and projected increases in the Earth's average temperature. According to Time for Change, the carbon footprint of one kilogram of plastic bags is approximately six kilograms of carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

Animal Consumption

• When plastic bags are burned, the high-density polyethylene from which they are made together with the heat of burning produces an extremely toxic chemical called dioxin. As there is nowhere for the dioxin-filled smoke to go other than into the air, it eventually settles on the surrounding ground, where it is likely to be eaten by animals and become concentrated in their body fat. This ends up in meat and dairy products from these animals and is then consumed by humans.

Human Health Risks

• Anybody who is near a burn pile that is burning plastic bags is at risk of inhaling the poisonous dioxin-filled fumes released into the air. According to The World Health Organization, as soon as dioxins have entered the body they become a permanent fixture, as thy do not dissolve in human fats. This poison has been linked to cancer and is also known to affect the immune system, reproduction, and the hormone-producing endocrine gland system.